Sterett Association February 2015

Greetings from the Sterett Association

Thoughts go out to our friends and shipmates in the Northeast who are digging out from the recent series of major and incessant snow storms.

This edition of the newsletter contains some items of interest for the Sterett community and some updates for the 2015 reunion.

Sterett Association Support
With our attention turned to world events, family, work or
the weather, it's easy to lose track of things like Sterett Association dues.
The turn of the new year is a good time to take a look.

Members In Good Standing (MIGS)
The following MIGS list is effective as of 31 December 2014
(Does not include dues received in 2015)

Last Name

First Name

Dues Paid Year

Acton

Richard

2011-2014

Alexander

Leonard

2008-2015

Allard

Richard

2013-2015

Anton

Stephen

2013-2018

Baumgartner

Lane

2013-2016

Bell

Mark A.

2009-2015

Berry

David

2010-2017

Bilak

David

2006-2015

Blanck

Charles

2014

Blount

Thomas E Jr

2006-2015

Bolton

James E. "Jim"

2009-2016

Bond

Charles A.

2006-2015

Buchanan

Michael

2008, 2013-2016

Camp

Ralph

2011-2014

Campbell

Jim

2013-2014

Caravella

Tony

2014

Cline

George A.

2006-2014

Cook

Donald

2014

Coon

Jack

2011-2018

Cornforth

Mike

2006-2016

Cowan

Van

2007-2014

Cox

David

2014

Cross

Fred

2009-2015

Cucchiara

Andrew

2009-2015

De Vinney Jr

Lloyd

2012-2014

Dean

Dennis

2006-2015

Dietz

Burton

2013-2016

Doan

Liennhu

2011-2014

Douglas

Richard

2014

Earney

Jerald D.

2006-2020

Epp

Bill

2014-2015

Farnham

Charles G.

2014-2015

Fox

Edward

2006-2016

Garrison

Merton

2007-2016

Garrity

Michael

2006-2015

Genet

Richard P

2014-2015

Gorin

Doug

2013-2014

Groener

Robert "Duffy"

2006-2016

Hada

Wilford

2006-2016

Hageman

Donald

2008-2014

Hager

Kenneth

2008-2015

Haley

Joel

2011-2014

Hailey

James

2014

Hayes

Stephen

2010-2015

Hennis

David

2012-2014

Herron

William

2006-2015

Hilliard

Dale

2008-2016

Holcombe

Randolph

2013-2014

Jacobsmeyer

Thomas

2006-2015

Jimenez

Salvatore

2011-2018

Johnson

Harold "Howie"

2009-2015

Johnson

Trey "Dewitt"

2013-2014

Johnson

Robert

2009-2016

Johnson

Trey

2013-2014

Johnston

James

2012-2015

Joubert

Oswaldo (Rob)

2014-2016

Keiran

Frank

2011-2014

Kelsey

Sterett-Gittings

2014-2019

Kincaid

Homer

2008, 2014-2016

King

John E.

2008-2014

Kirk

Jeffery

2008-2018

LaCrosse

Denis

2007-2014

Lacey

Todd

2014

LeFebvre

Chuck

2013-2015

Littleton

Robert

2013-2015

Lloyd

Michael

2014

Locke

Tommy

2014-2015

Lucenti

Pasquale

2014

Ludwig

Frank

2014

Lujan

Bruce

2014

Malcolm

Ronald

2006-2019

Mallow

William

2007, 2013-2014

Marcus

Richard B.

2004-2015

Mares

Carl R.

2006-2015

Marusa

Mike

2009-2015

McAllister

David

2014

McBrian

Wayne

2007-2014

McGuire

Robert V.

2006-2014

Mickel

Evan

2010-2014

Miller

Elden

Member Emeritus

Moe

Jerry

2006-2014

Montgomery

Gary

2006-2014

Moore

Michael

2013-2014

Motz

Lawrence

2006-2021

Murphy

Brendan

2012-2014

Ness

James

2014

Ness

George

2014

Nichols

Gary

2013-2017

Norton

Randy

2007-2017

Oistad

Gary

2014

Page

Tim

2014

Payne

Darrell

2013-2020

Phan

Lana

2013-2017

Phung

Le T

2008-2015

Rains

David

2006-2014

Robinson

James E. "Robbie"

2011-2015

Sandbothe

Bradley S.

2013-2016

Schultz

Danny

2008, 2014

Sedrel

Steven

2011-2014

Sexton

Nick

2013-2014

Smith

Danny

2014

Smith

Mike

2011-2016

Snader

Robert

2011-2015

Sports

William (Bill)

2014

Sterett

Debbie

2008-2016

Stevens

Richard

2006-2015

Sullivan

George E

2006-2015

Sullivan

Larry

2006-2015

Thayer

Dwight E.

2009-2015

Truong

Tri

2014

Trotter

James

2013-2014

Vancampen

Jerry

2014

Vincent

Jerry

2013-2018

Verren

Terry

2013-2017

Vitez

Barry

2013-2014

Wasinger

Phil

2013-2014

Wright

Wayne

2007-2014

Many Association supporters’ dues expired at the end of
2014. Please take a moment to update your dues.
To renew using PayPal, go to http://www.sterett.net/paypal.htm

Attendance at the reunion and payment of the reunion fee will include annual
dues for the following calendar year, i.e., attend the 2015
reunion , dues are paid for 2016 .

Why Become A Sterett Association Member?

If your Sterett tour was nothing special and just like other Navy
tours you had, there is no good reason for you to become a member of the
Sterett Association and no reason to read further.

However, if you have ever allowed your mind to drift back to
your Sterett years and started to think about some of your shipmates and
thought about all the things you did back then and you suddenly realize there’s
a smile breaking out on your face, or you feel nostalgic about the good old
Sterett days, then read on.
There are many of your former shipmates out here who feel the same way. A lot
of them are Sterett Association members.

I see activity on two different Sterett Face Book pages. On
them, former Sterett crewmembers share messages, pictures and memories of days
past. Days spent in Subic Bay, Yokosuka, Pattaya Beach, Hong Kong, Sydney,
Perth and even Shanghai. Also a few days spent at sea!

Whether you spent 4 years, 6 years or had a full Navy
career, these are days that most of us cherish. These are the years we grew up,
found out who we were and formed the attitudes that made us who we are today.
For most, the people we spent so many days with helped to mold us into the men
we have become. Special times, special people.

With these thoughts in mind, the Sterett Association serves
an invaluable service. It is an organization made up of people just like ourselves who have fond memories of our Sterett years. The
Sterett Association provides the opportunity to locate former shipmates,
correspond with them and, every two years, visit with
each other face to face at the reunions. The hours I have spent discussing old
times over a few drinks at the reunions have been some of the most enjoyable
times I have had. Hearing about some long forgotten "liberty events" bring
rolls of laughter that literally can hurt. Looking across the room and seeing a
former shipmate that you spent liberty time with many years ago will warm your
heart.

A Sterett crewmember who attended a recent reunion for the first time had this to
say," Seeing all my old shipmates was the icing on the
cake. I wish I hadn't waited so long to attend a reunion."

This is a fairly typical reaction.

Why dues??
Like any organization, the Sterett Association has operating costs. The
Association is a registered Non Profit organization and all Association
officers serve voluntarily.The
membership dues of $20 each year take care of operating expenses like
maintaining and hosting the web site, providing inventory for the ship’s store,
covering reunion start up costs, etc.

For those that do attend a reunion, your membership dues for
the following year are included with the reunion fee. Reunion fees are based on
actual estimated costs for the reunion events which
include the banquet, tour transportation, DJ, hospitality room and
refreshments, audio and visual equipment, and a myriad of other fees and
charges.

The location of the reunions is selected at the reunion
business meeting. We do try and move the reunion site around the country to
accommodate travel expenses. However, if you plan early, travel can be less
expensive.

So, why become a member?

Being part of the Sterett Association will provide you the
opportunity to reconnect and remain in touch with old shipmates who share that
special feeling about the USS Sterett. It will also give you a chance to spend
a couple of days rubbing elbows with old friends who have gone on to different
things in life but will always be part of your life back in the day.

Visit the Sterett Association web site at http://sterett.net/public/
and click on the Join or Renew Membership link.

We hope to see you in Tacoma.

DDG 104

U.S. and China Conduct Anti-Piracy Exercise

In a rare bilateral exercise, the U.S. and China conducted anti-piracy training
off the pirate-prone Gulf of Aden, the Navy said in a Thursday statement.

The guided missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104) joined at least two of People’s Liberation
Army Navy ships for the exercises that included visit, board, search, and
seizure (VBSS) exercises, communication exchanges and "various other aspects of
naval operations," read the statement from U.S. 5th Fleet.

"Approximately 700 personnel from the U.S. and China navies
will participate in the exercise, and it gives Sterett sailors the opportunity to engage in a shared mission
with other surface platforms," read the statement.

DD 407

He kept a diary of his Sterett
experiences from his entrance into the US Navy at Sampson until his ship was
decommissioned in Brooklyn on 2 November 1945.

Although one man's story, it contains a detailed account of
life aboard Sterett at the height of
the war in the South Pacific while also dealing with kamikazi attacks and
missing home.

I realized the historical value of this compelling war diary
the moment I discovered it in our old Gates family Homestead. The 36 page diary also contains photographs and copies of my
father's treasured Sterett and WW II documents.

The late David W. McComb, former President of the Destroyer History Foundation, endorsed this diary on the book's back cover.

It is my wish to make this book available to all Sterett and WWII history lovers who may wish to have it.

If you’re interested in obtaining a copy of this WWII and Sterett artifact, use the order form provided.

A couple of days after I received that input, I received
information about another fascinating gem from the DD 407.
Those who attended the Branson reunion will remember Chuck (Frenchy) LeFebvre,
a DD 407 veteran. His son, Steve LeFebvre (LtCol, USAF, Ret) attended with him.

Steve sent me the following:
"Charles"Frenchy" LeFebvre (DD 407) is still living in Columbus Ohio, and of
course, I speak with him frequently.

During a recent visit, he pulled out an old file folder and asked
that I read the papers and if possible, forward them to you for archiving with
the USS Sterett DD 407 history documents. I must tell you I was surprised by
what he gave me. The documents are of the final inspection given to the Sterett
on 11 August 1945. There are about 30 pages of originally typed onion skin paper documents. They are absolutely fascinating.
I will be sending all of the documents to you electronically. The first
installment is attached. It is a "ship's history" from commissioning
in 1939 to the final inspection in 1945. Much of this, of course is found in
Calhoun's book, "Tin Can Sailor". The attached are the
"original" documents.

The inspection summaries are fascinating reading of inspectors
writing up equipment and cleanliness issues, and sailors needing haircuts and
shoeshines. Attention to detail was the word of the day in these write ups. I'll send the other groups of papers
electronically so as not to overwhelm the system.

Please, enjoy the documents. Let me know if there is interest in
having the originals. They are very delicate.

Dad indicates he may not attend the next reunion. I live in the
Seattle area and I am looking at my calendar to see if the dates work. I'll
continue to work on dad to change his mind and attend the reunion. Not many 407
guys left."

History, Page 1

An example of an inspection report

Even at the close of WWII, haircuts, shaves and shined shoes were important.

We are investigating how we can best package and display
these interesting and important documents. We may make them available for
viewing on the web site as we did for the Sterett cruise books.

Standby for more information as it develops.

A major Thank You to Steve and Chuck LeFebvre for providing them.

Pacific Historic Parks/ World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Many of us have had the privilege of rendering honors as we
passed by the USS Arizona Memorial.

Few of us realize the Arizona Memorial is just one of
several locations that make up the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument,a United States
national monument honoring several aspects
of American engagement in World War II. It encompasses 9 sites in 3 states
totaling 6,310 acres.

The monument was created on December 5, 2008, through an executive
order issued by President George W. Bush under the authority of the Antiquities
Act of 1906. The proclamation date was selected in anticipation of the 67th
anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 2008.

Serving as the Chairman of the Board of the Pacific Historic
Parks was Capt. George Sullivan
(Sterett CO 82-84).
"We will continue to preserve and support these historical landmarks to ensure
visitors for generations to come will have a full appreciation and
understanding of the events and sacrifices of the people involved in the sites
we serve."

In addition to the USS Arizona, the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument includes other
sites located in Hawaii, Alaska and California.

Pacific Historic Parks is a private non-profit organization which supports the World War
II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, American Memorial Park on Saipan; War in the Pacific National
Historical Park on Guam ; and Kalaupapa National
Historical Park on the island of Molokai, Hawaii
through sales in their book stores at each location and other fundraising
activities.

Sterett Spotlight

The vast majority of Sterett veterans go on to very
interesting and productive lives inside or outside the Navy. They represent a
complete cross section of business and industry around the country. We like to
think their Sterett tours were instrumental in the development of both manual
skills and the willingness to do a good job. We have highlighted a few of these
shipmates in previous newsletters. We are happy to shine the spotlight on
another Sterett shipmate who recently completed a very interesting and storied
career.

Command Master Chief Bond was born in
Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, and moved to the United States in 1976. He grew
up in Tucson, Arizona, graduating from Tucson High School in 1983.

He reported to recruit basic training at Great Lakes, IL, in September 1983.
After boot camp, he completed Hospital Corpsman "A" School and Field
Medical Service School.His first duty assignment was at Naval Hospital Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA.Other shore duty assignments include
Branch Medical Clinic, NAF El Centro, CA, and Afloat Training Group Western Pacific, Yokosuka, Japan.

He was selected to the rank of Chief
Petty Officer in 1993 (Class 100), to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer in
1999, and to the Command Master Chief Program in 2005.

In March 2006, he reported to
Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133 at NAS Whidbey Island, WA.While assigned as the Wizards’ CMC, the
command earned two Battle "E" awards and two Commander Electronic Attack Wing
Maintenance "Golden Wrench" awards while completing three arduous deployments
to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, in support of Operation ENDURING
FREEDOM.In addition, the command
earned their first EAWS Pennant and maintained 100% qualification during his
entire tour.

On 1 April 2009, he reported to USS
SHOUP (DDG 86) at NS Everett, WA.
While assigned to SHOUP, the command earned a Battle "E" award, the
Golden Anchor award for retention excellence and completed a deployment with
the ABRAHAM LINCOLN Battle Group, spending over two months in the Somali Basin
and attending eleven Theater Security Cooperation Events in the FIFTH, SIXTH
and SEVENTH Fleet area of operations including the 2011 Avalon Air Show in
Melbourne, Australia.

On 1 April 2011, he assumed the
duties as CMC of Fleet Readiness Center Northwest leading over 870 Sailors
across five shore/sea UICs.
While assigned to FRCNW, the command has earned three consecutive Golden
Anchor Awards for retention excellence, three "Outstanding" scores on the ISIC
Career Development Program Reviews, and achieved a 2013 Naval Air Forces
Aviation Maintenance Inspection grade of 38 "on-track" and ZERO "off-track."In addition, the command earned the
Whidbey Green Seal certification for environmental sustainability efforts!

He qualified as an Enlisted Surface
Warfare Specialist (ESWS) 07 December 1987 aboard USS STERETT (CG 31), was assigned the Fleet Marine Force (FMF)
designator in 1991 during Operation Desert STORM while serving in combat with
the First Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), and qualified as an Enlisted
Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) 04 July 2006 while assigned to VAQ-133.

He is a Top Graduate of the Surface
Force Independent Duty Corpsman School (SFIDC), attended the Senior Enlisted
Academy (Class 122 - Brown), and completed the CMC/COB Course (Class 24).He holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree from
Columbia University of Missouri and is currently a graduate student at
University of Southern California (USC)’s School of Social
Work.

His personal decorations include the
Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Medal (five awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (six awards), the
Combat Action Ribbon, and other unit and campaign awards to include the Korea
Defense Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and the
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

He is married to the former Gerlie
Deleón Mamaril from Las Pinas, Philippines and resides in Oak Harbor, WA.He retired from the United States Navy
October 1, 2013, after more than 30 years of faithful and honorable service.

Since retirement, Chuck has enjoyed
time with his family, has travelled to re-connect with many STERETT Shipmates, and is currently in
training to complete a half-marathon in the spring.He leads two adopt-a-road clean-up
groups and is in training to become a volunteer VFW Services Officer in order
to assist Veterans file for VA benefits.

"Without a doubt, my tour on STERETT had a significant contribution in
building the foundation of my success in the Navy!!!I am proud to be a member of the USS
STERETT Association and am really looking forward to our reunion near my home in
Tacoma, Washington."

Sterett Passings

We learned of the following Shipmate passings since the previous newsletter:

Jack Darveau FTG1 1967-1970

Mike Pickens DSC 1988-1991

The Sterett Association Memorial Page (sterett.net/Memorial)
has been re-organized. If you learn of the passing of a Sterett shipmate, please notify one of the Association officers.

Binnacle List
Your thoughts and prayers are requested for shipmate
FCCJay Mills who is bravely fighting a tough battle with cancer.

Reunion 2015

We are 7 months out from our 2015
reunion in Tacoma, Washington - September 18-20 .

Arrangements are well underway.

It’s destined to be a great
event. Don’t miss out. Start making your plans now to be there.

If you’re not there, you will be
the subject of many sea stories!

Watch the newsletters, Facebook
and the Sterett web site for updated information about the reunion.

Please register as early as possible.

An accurate headcount is essential to
ensure required services are available.

Like many major airports, the SeaTac car rental facilities
are located away from the main terminal.

Upon arrival at Sea-Tac Airport. after picking up your checked baggage:

Exit the sliding glass doors near carousel #1 or #15 and walk to one of the two
designated shuttle bus pick-up areas.
Shuttle buses depart frequently for the rental car facility.

If you are returning a vehicle, take SR518 and follow signs for the Rental Car
Facility.

Driving:
For those driving to the reunion, use the following directions to the hotel
once in the general area.Driving Directions from the North:Head south on I-5 to Tacoma. Take
exit 135, Portland Avenue exit. Go straight ahead 2 blocks, across Portland
Avenue. The hotel is on your right.

Saturday Afternoon Group Tour to the USS Turner Joy and the Puget
Sound Navy Museum

(The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is not accessible).

Our group tour will depart by bus at
approximately 11:30 from the La Quinta Inn for a drive to Bremerton and the USS
Turner Joy Museum Ship.

The USS Turner Joy (DD-951), famed Navy
destroyer from the Vietnam War, is now maintained and administered by the
Bremerton Historic Ships Association. The museum ship and memorial honors not
only the men and women of our modern US Navy, but also recognizes the
accomplishments of those who help build and maintain the Navy's ships as well.
An active and educational facility makes the USS Turner Joy a unique and
lasting legacy to Puget Sound's maritime heritage.

Sterett and Turner Joy are forever linked in a
incident that is less known than the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
In June 1982, Sterett, in company with Turner Joy and Lynde McCormick were
making a transit from Thailand to Subic Bay following Exercise Cobra Gold. As
they traveled around the southern Vietnamese island of Con Son, they took
machine gun fire from a small boat. One round struck the Turner Joy and
penetrated the superstructure. Lynde McCormick fired some 50cal rounds over the
boats and Sterett fired a couple of illumination rounds. The ships remained in
the area overnight until first light determined the boat that fired was an
alleged "fishing boat" and posed little threat.

Following the tour of the USS Turner
Joy, we will travel a short distance to the Puget Sound Navy Museum.

The Puget Sound Navy Museum collects, preserves, and
interprets the naval heritage of the Pacific Northwest from 1840 to the present
for the benefit of the U.S. Navy and the people of the United States.
Beginning with approximately 600 objects, the Museum's collection now numbers
more than 18,000. Building 50 provides the Museum with 7,909 square feet of
exhibition space and 4,392 square feet of collections storage.

Admission to the USS Turner Joy Museum
is $10 prepaid. The fee can be paid as part of the reunion registration
process.

There is no admission fee for the Puget Sound Navy Museum.

Tour sign up must be
completed during the reunion registration. We apologize for this
inconvenience but we must avoid the situation we had in Branson with late sign ups which compromised our tour bus arrangements.

Saturday Lunch: We are in the process
of making arrangements for lunch during the tour. Details will be published as
soon as they are known.

Things To Do

The Tacoma, Seattle and Puget Sound
area abounds with interesting things to do and see.

We encourage all our reunion guests to arrive early and stay beyond the reunion to
take advantage of all the area offers.

Gig Harbor - Discoveredin 1840 and incorporated in 1946, Gig Harbor is
one of the most picturesque small cities in America. It is located on Gig
Harbor Bay in Puget Sound across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma. http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/

Whale Watching – there are a number of whale watching tours available,
both from the US and the Canadian side. Be sure to have a valid passport if you
plan to cross the border.

Washington State Ferry:
The Washington State Department
of Transportation runs numerous ferry routes around the Puget Sound area.
Looking for a leisurely way to spend a few hours?
Check it out at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/